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Saturday, 19 January 2013

Pear & Custard Crumble Cake (or “Goodbye to D.I.Y”)

Now that the dust of Christmas has settled, and we are all
getting on (or not) with January, I bring you a cake requires a certain amount
of time and faffing in the kitchen. Don’t let this put you off. This time of
year, it’s crucial to have some strategies in place to avoid those tedious ‘New
Year Projects’, and I guarantee that the strategic wafting of cake before those
around you is one such strategy that will absolve you entirely of participation
in such projects – for an afternoon at least.

The Husband's current project is "The Moving of The Greenhouse". Do you see what I mean? This doesn't just involve the physical act of relocating a structure from one area of the garden to another. In order to move the greenhouse, the new site requires to be prepared. Concrete is involved. And straight lines. This is not an area where I am at all qualified, or otherwise competent, nor am I a particularly enthusiastic participant, although I am more than happy to consume the eventual rewards of this endeavour - by moving the greenhouse to the new position, it will benefit from more sun for longer in the year thus extending its usefulness for growing things. Things which I can eventually cook with.

Cake on the other hand? Well that's different. This cake delivers on many levels, being both cake and
crumble, and is equally good warm or cold. It contains custard. The ‘faffing’ involves nothing more
arduous than making said custard, caramelising some fruit, and knocking up some
crumble topping. These tasks, straightforward in themselves, provide the
perfect opportunity for hanging out and flicking through the magazine section
of the paper of a Saturday afternoon, while rolling out a practiced “No I can’t possibly help you, darling, I just have to keep my eye on these pears”...

You’ll also need greaseproof paper and a deep
20cm round cake tin – it’ll be easier if it’s loose bottomed – which you’ve
greased and lined. You might want to think about some cream or crème fraiche to
serve with it, too. Better to think about it now rather than later, I always
say.

Combine the custard powder and caster sugar a
bowl and mix to a smooth paste with about 50ml of the milk.

Heat the rest of the milk in a medium sized pan
and when it’s getting close to boiling, pour it onto the custard powder paste
and stir together, then pour it all back in to the pan on a medium heat and
stir constantly (or whisk) till the custard thickens.

Pour the thickened custard back into the bowl,
and press in a piece of greaseproof paper to cover the top of the custard and
stop a skin forming. Leave to cool until very firm.

Put the pears, brandy, 50g of the light
muscovado sugar and 75ml water into a pan, bring to the boil and cook over a
high heat till all the liquid has evaporated. Keep an eye on it, and stir
occasionally. Once the liquid has evaporated, set the pan aside.

Make the crumble topping by rubbing together the
oats with 40g of the unsalted butter and the muscovado sugar till they form
oaty crumbs.

Once the custard is thick and chilled and the
pears are cooled, pre-heat the oven to about 1800C /1600C
for fan ovens.

Beat together the remaining butter and sugar,
then add the eggs in one at a time, beating well after each. The mixture may
look a little curdled but bear with it – or add a little of the flour after
each egg.

Add in the flour, ground almonds and baking
powder and beat again. Chop up the custard into rough pieces and stir into the
mixture, then scrape it all into the lined tin and gently spread it level.

Scatter the pears on top and stir through the
cake mixture, then sprinkle the crumble topping on top of that till everything
is covered.

Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, and leave to cool in
the tin. It will be cooked when the crumble is golden brown and a skewer comes
out reasonably clean, but it is quite a damp cake.

Leave to cool in the tin.

Serve the cake with cream and a
cup of tea. Alternatively, increase your chances of never being asked to mix concrete or measure straight lines
again by bearing a tray with a generous slice of cake and a glass of the brandy
(assuming you didn’t drink it all in the kitchen while flicking through your paper) to your New Year Project
Monkey and exclaim, adoringly “Oh darling, you are clever – it looks marvellous
– I could never have done it as well. Would you like some cake?”

Disclaimer (!): I wrote this post as an application for a cake column (without reference to the greenhouse moving, which is a genuine project). I didn't get the cake gig, but hey ho, we had some good cake, and I thought you'd all like it too. And if you think anyone's moving any greenhouses in this weather, think again...

I dread those words - 'I'll need your help to' or 'This month we're going to', I always know it's going to result in a project that isn't as simple as it sounds or as much fun. The cake looks fabulous and definitely the better option than project involvement!

Yum... January definitely needs a project, otherwise it can be a little bit boring. Your cake looks perfect for the winter weather and a cake with crumble on the top is always good as it's such a satisfying texture! :-)